Turkish scam ring busted in massive scheme reaching Germany

ISTANBUL

Authorities have detained 10 suspects in a crime ring as part of a major cross-border investigation into a phone scam that deceived elderly German citizens through impersonation tactics.

The suspects, fluent in German, posed as law enforcement officials and convinced their victims they were under threat from organized crime groups.

This method, often used within Türkiye, proved alarmingly effective in Germany, leading to approximately 122 million Turkish Liras (around $3.2 million) in losses across 46 victims.

German authorities, after receiving multiple reports, traced the scam's operations back to Türkiye and contacted Istanbul police.

In simultaneous raids in Istanbul, İzmir and Sakarya, Turkish law enforcement arrested the suspects, among them was a man affiliated with the notorious gang Hells Angels, who is reportedly wanted by Interpol for a 2014 murder in Berlin.

Searches at the suspects' addresses yielded significant amounts of foreign currency.

Turkish drug lord surrenders after years on run

In a separate case, a Turkish national accused of leading an international cocaine trafficking network has turned himself in to Interpol.

Feridun Müldür had been wanted for eight years on charges of drug trafficking and membership in a criminal organization.

Having illegally entered Colombia from Ecuador two years ago, he primarily operated from there, despite being sought with red notice.

During his time in Bogota, Müldür became a key figure in smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe using "body packers" — couriers who swallow drug-filled capsules to evade detection, daily Sabah reported.

One such courier, a 22-year-old Nigerian woman, was caught at Istanbul Airport with 82 capsules containing one kilogram of cocaine in her stomach, highlighting the risky methods used by the network.

Müldür applied for asylum in South America upon surrender, but his request was rejected by prosecutors.